Ballot-printing voting-machine



`(No Model.) s sheets-sheet 1.

A. '0. ABBOTT. BALLOT PRINTING VOTING MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 15V, 1896.

(No Modem 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. O. ABBOTT.

BALLO'I PRINTING VOTING MACHINE. f

No. 567,572'. j Patent'edSept. 15, 1896.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-SheetJ 3.

A. 0. ABBOTT. BALLON: PRINTING VOTING MACHINE.

No. 567,572. Patented Sept. 15, 1896.

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UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE.

ADRIAN O. ABBOTT, OF I-IUDSON,1WIICIIIGAN.

BALLOT-PRINTING VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,572, dated September 15, 1896.

Application filed January 21,1895. Serial No. 535,702. (No model.)

To all whom. t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADRIAN O. ABBOTT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hudson, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and use-v ful Improvements in Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to that form of voting-machine in which a number of slides carrying various names or other matter to be used in giving expression to the operators mind and means for recording the same are movable at will to bring any portion of a slide into position for making a record on material suitable for receiving an imprint. Some parts of my invention are, however, applicable to voting-machines which may employ other means for indicating the vote than recording means.

An object of my invention is to render more convenient and exact than heretofore the alinement of the selected portions of the slides in the voting position by means of a rectifying or justifying bar which engages each slide by means of a notch and pin on the respective parts.

A further object is to .render the operation of indicating the vote dependent upon the movement of the rectifying-bar, so that the vote cannot be recorded until the selected parts of slides are alined.

A further object is to have the record or indication of the vote effected automatically by gravity by arranging one of the parts of the machine to drop and by effecting its release through the movement of the rectifying-bar.

A further object is to provide means whereby the vote may be exposed to the voters inspection and severed and deposited by the passing of the voter out of the voting-space.

A final object is to improve the various details of construction so that all the parts will operate more readily and the machine will be rendered more practical as a whole than without them.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of an improved voting-machine constructed in accordance Mwith my present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3 3, Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the right-hand end of the malar party into voting-space.

chine. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the left-hand end of the machine ready for use. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the position of the parts after the operator has printed a ticket.

1 represents a main frame which is provided with a pair of side bars 2 and has mounted upon it a drop-frame 3, which carries the slides 4, is pivoted at one end 5, while its other end is held normally in elevation by a pawl 6, which is pivoted at 7 on the lower frame. The slides 4 are mounted between guide-bars 8 and are adapted to be adjusted to any position by engagement of their upturned ends 9. These slides contain upon their upper faces the names of oiiices and persons to be voted for or answers to questions to be' given, while on their under faces they carry relief-printing forms corresponding in matter and position to that which is on their upper faces. The diiferent parts of the slides 4 are separated by notches 10, so located that when any slide is moved approximately into a voting position, which is a space 11, these notches v10 will be engaged by pins 12 on a rectifying-bar 13,whic.h is movable in a transverse direction, and all of the slides which have been previously brought to an approximate position will thus be adj usted accurately into the right position. I/Vhen the slides with the matter carried on their under sides are thus brought into voting position, it simply remains to drop the frame 3, so that an imprint or record can be made. To accomplish this, the rectifying-bar 13 has connection with a lever 14, which is fulcrumed at 15 and connected at its end 16 with a rod 17, which engages and trips the pawl 6, so as to allow the frame to fall. After this is done the frame may be returned to normal position by means of a hand-lever 18, which is fulcrumed at 19 and engages the frame 3 by its elbow 20.

The slides 4 are preferably arranged so that the various candidates for the `respective offices may be associated according to the party, and if it is desired to vote a straight ticket the slides are shifted as a whole to bring the group of candidates of the particu- To provide for conveniently moving the slides as a whole, I employ, as in my former invention, covered by Letters Patent No. 534,239, dated February 12, y1895, the slide-bar 2l, mounted upon IOO a rod 22 and having at one end an arm .,3, which engages the ends of all the slides 4. By taking hold of the handle 24 the slide-bar 2l may be moved to the left to any distance to bring the group of names of candidates of one political party into voting-line. This bar is likewise convenient for use in the event of a ticket being split, inasmuch as the majority of the slides may be moved into position by it, and those slides containing names which are to be changed are then adjusted separately afterward. 25 represents a returningarm, which is likewise mounted upon the guide-bar 22 and is under the control of a handle 26, for the purpose of returning all of the slides 4 to the normal position after, any vote has been east.

The upper frame 3 carries a pair of inkingrollers 27, mounted in brackets 28, which are made adjustable by reason of their curved shape and attaching-screws 29, in order to bring the rollers accurately into the plane of the printing-surfaces of the slides 4. The rollers 27 are so located that the act of placing the slides 4 into voting position brings the printing-surfaces over one or both of said rollers and supplies them with the necessary ink to print a ballot.

Upon the lower frame is mounted the material for receiving the record, and this consist-s of the prepared web SO, preferably supplied in the form of a roll 3l, mounted upon brackets 32 and passed up over a metallic platen 33, where it receives the imprint resulting from the dropping` of the frame This upper paper is fed by means of a roller and an idler 35, mounted at the opposite end of the platen 33, such idlerbeing mounted upon brackets 36, which are attached at 37 to one of the side bars 2 of the frame and so shaped that as the roller turns to feed the paper the idler 35 binds down upon said roller 34. It is intended that the feed-roller 34 shall be turned by any suitable means, such, for instance, as a crank 3S, mounted upon its shaft 39, which projects to one end of the machine for the purpose of bringing said crank into convenient position for manipulation. The roller is preferably of such size that a certain number of revolutions, say two, will feed a sufficient length of paper to receive the entire ballot, and after cach ballot is printed and paper for a succeeding ballot is forwarded it is exhibited to the voter, as indicated at 40, before a glass panel 4l.

42 represents a radial slot in the feed-roller 34, which, upon the turning of said roller a suiicient distance to forward the ballot, as explained, will register with a severing-knife 3. The knife 43 is carried on a lever 44, pivoted at 45 and having at its outer end a cam 4G, which is engaged by a lever 47, pivoted at 4S and projecting out, as at 49, across the exit from the machine. Lever 44 carries, in addition to the knife, a yielding presserblock 50, which, when the lever is pressed down to force the knife 43 into the slot 42,

holds the paper firmly onto the feed-roller 34, so that the knife 43 passes through the paper and severs the ballot. When the lever 47 is released and cutting-lever 44 returned to normal position, the ballot is dropped down a chute 11L and passes, through an opening 5l, into the ballot-box 52.

53 is a rod connecting lever 47 with the under bar 54 of returning-arm 25, so that the exit of the voter returns all slides to normal position and the succeeding voter cannot see what vote was cast. As will be observed, the connection 5 between the gravitating and main frames is such that the former, while held in proper position during use, may be lifted ol'f the latter, so as to render the machine temporarily incapable of use or permit manipulation or adjustment of parts.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A voting-machine comprising a frame having parallel guides, -and a transverse voting-space, extending across the machine, a series of slides bodily and independently movable laterally of the frame between the guides, each slide having1 a series of printing-forms, and means associated with each of the printing-forms for indicating the alinement of any of the printing-forms over the voting-space, a platen for the record-strip, located at the voting position, means for justifying the position of the slides, and means in connection with the justifying means for actuating the device to produce the record; substantially as described.

2. A voting-machine comprising a dropframe having parallel guides, and a transverse voting-space extending' across the machine, a series of slides bodily and indepen dently movable laterally of the frame between the guides, each slide having a series of printing-forms, and notches associated with each of the printing-forms for indicating the alinement of any of the printing-forms over the voting-space, a platen for the record-strip located at the voting' position, the justifyingbar having pins for engaging the notches in the slides for alining the printing-forms, and means in connection with the j ustifying-bar for dropping the frame; substantially as described.

3. A voting-machine comprising a dropframe having parallel guides and a transverse voting-space extending across the machine, a series of slides, bodily and independently movable laterally of thc frame between the guides, each slide having a series of printingforms, and means associated with each of the printing-forms for indicating the alinement of any of the printing-forms over the votingspace, a platen for the record-strip located at the voting position, a j ustifying-bar for alining the printing-forms, a pivoted pawl whereby the drop-frame is held normally elevated and means for disconnecting the pawl for dropping the frame consisting of a rod for IOO IIO

disengaging the pawl and va lever connected with the rod and with the justifying-bar substantially as described.

4. A voting-machine comprising a dropframe having parallel guides, and a transverse voting-space, extending across the machine, a series of slides bodily and independently movable laterally of the frame between the guides, each slide havingaseries of printing-forms, and notches associated with each of the printing-forms for indicating the alinement of any of the printing-forms over the voting-space, a platen for the record-strip located at the voting position, the justifyingbar having pins for engaging the notches in the slides for alining the printing-forms, a pivoted pawl whereby the dropframe is held normally elevated and means for disconnecting the pawl for dropping the frame consisting of a rod for disengaging the pawl and a lever connected with the rod and with the justifying-bar; substantially as described.

5. A voting-machine comprising a frame having parallel guides, and a transverse voting-space extending across the machine, a series of slides bodily and independently movable laterally of the frame between the guides, each slide having a series of printing-forms, and means associated with each of the printing-forms for indicating the alinement of any of the printing-forms over the voting-space, a platen for the record-strip located at the voting position, the rod,a bar having a bearing on the rod and an arm for advancing the slides bodily across the voting position, and a second bar having a bearing on the rod and an arm for returning the slides to normal position substantially as described.

6. The combination of a 'series of independently-movable slides, the arm for returning the slides to norm al position, the lever for returning the arm, and the rod connected with the arm and also with the lever; substantially as described.

7. The combination of a number of independently-movable slides having printingforms, the arm for returning the slides to normal position, a platen for the record-strip located at the voting position, a cam-lever carrying a knife for severing the strip, the lever for operating the cam-lever, and the rod connected with the arm and also with the operating-lever; substantially as described.

8. The combination of an upper drop-frame having parallel guides and a transverse voting-space extending across the machine, the

lower frame, the hand-lever having an elbow and fulcrumed to the lower frame for returning the drop-frame, means for supporing the drop-frame, a series of slides bodily and independently movable laterally of the frame between the guides, having printing-forms, and means for recording the position of the slides when arranged in voting position; substantially as described.

9. The combination of the main frame, the side bars, the platen mounted on the side bars, the ballot-box over which the main frame is supported, the chute extending from the platen to the ballot-box, the feed-roller, the idler located over the feed-roller, the drop -frame having parallel guides and a transverse voting-space, extending across the machine, a series of slides bodily and independently movable laterally of the drop-frame between the guides, each slide having a series of printing-forms, and means for supporting the drop-frame until the vote is arranged; substantially as described.

lO. The combination of the main frame, the side bars, the platen mounted on the side bars, the ballot-box over which the main frame is supported, the chute extending-from the platen to the ballot-box, the feed-roller having a radial knife-slot the idler located over the feed-roller, the cam-lever carrying the knife, the lever whereby the cam-lever is operated, the drop-frame having parallel guides and a transverse voting-space, extending across the machine, a series of slides bodily and independently movable laterally of the drop-frame between the guides, each slide having a series of printing-forms, and means for supporting the drop-frame until the vote is arranged; substantially as described.

1l. In a voting-machine, the combination of suitable means for making a record of the vote, a set of independently-movable slides adapted to be arranged in recording position, a paper-feeding means for feeding it into proper position for receiving the record from the slides, an arm for severing the vote, and a lever having operative connection with the arm and also with the severing-knife, and projecting across the exit from the votingmachine whereby it is operated by the passing out of the voter, as explained.

ADRIAN O. ABBOTT.

Witnesses:

F. A. CARRAGEN, E. J. SOUTHWORTH.

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